GILGIT (Kashmir English): Ballot counting has started after polling for the 24 Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly seats concluded at 5 PM today across the region.
No major incident regarding law and order was reported throughout the day except reports of heated arguments between the supporters of political parties near to the polling stations.
Over 950,000 registered voters were eligible to cast their ballots across the region’s 10 districts, choosing from a heavily contested field of nearly 400 candidates.
The election was earlier scheduled in January 2026 but later postponed due to severe winter weather.
According to the Election Commission of Gilgit-Baltistan, 1,391 polling stations were established across the territory.
Authorities classified 551 polling stations as “highly sensitive” and 349 as “sensitive”.
To maintain law and order, over 5,000 police personnel—including more than 3,000 from the Punjab Constabulary—were deployed alongside local forces.
The Election Commission of Gilgit Baltistan also designated District Returning Officers as first-class magistrates to ensure a peaceful and transparent process.
Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly
The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly consists of 33 seats in total, with 24 directly elected, six reserved for women, and three for technocrats.
The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly completed its five-year tenure in November 2025. Elections, originally scheduled for January 24, were postponed due to severe weather conditions.
